Unexpected
by mr-neville-shortbottom
Summary: Aurelie Laroux was born into a wealthy, family. Her life seems perfect; riches, food, and a great fiancé. But what are riches worth if you have biased relatives, high standards you can't live up to, and a fiancé that is actually abusive? After running away,she meets a man, who introduces her to the Amis de l'ABC, who change her forever. Bahorel/OC Romance, Combeferre/OC Friendship
1. Chapter I - Run

_*July,1828*_

_"You'll learn to love him," her mother had said. "It takes time. See how I learned to love your father?" Aurelie sighed. "No, Maman, that is not what I want. I want to just fall in love, not learn to love. And I can't fall in love with a man keeps doing this to me." She then showed her mother the bruises and cuts he had left on her body. Her mother tensed up, repulsed at the state of her least favorite daughter. She took a deep breath, and Aurelie already knew what she was going to say : If only you were more like..."If only you were more like your sister, Celeste..." her mother said. "Then he would treat you better._

*******  
_*September, 1828*_  
Gently, painfully, she stood up. She cringed and whimpered at the pain she felt in her legs, her torso, her whole body in fact. She turned and saw her reflection, with bruises covering her pale, freckled body. She carefully made her way to the mirror, and inspected the severity of the wounds. Her trembling hands touched her face, making sure this was real, making sure the mirror wasn't tricking her. But it was real. All the bruises, the cuts, the tears, they were all so very real, and Aurelie fell to the floor, sobbing. _I can't do this Maman. I can't. I've tried, and I've failed. I can't learn to love this man, Maman._ She remembered their conversation, which had, as always, ended with Aurelie being compared to her twin, Celeste. She had tried a countless amount of times to try to be as good as her sister, Constance Opaline, but when Aurelie's wild read curls, freckled covered face, and clumsiness was compared to her sister's smooth red hair, perfect skin, and impeccable manners, she just couldn't win.  
She wiped away her tears, trying to reconstruct her wall. Several years ago, Aurelie Alexandrie Laroux had realized that to survive in her family, she had to construct an impenetrable wall around her, a wall that hid all emotions, desires, dreams, and hopes. And tonight, the humiliation, frustration, and despair caused it to crumble and fall.

She hated him. She hated the fact that she was born into a family that was incredibly shallow and narrow-minded. She hated the fact that she had to marry this bastard. She hated the fact that nobody believed her when she told them what he did. But most of all, she hated the people the people who had arranged this damn marriage.

Since she was part of an upper-class family, she was forced into an arranged marriage. Her husband-to-be was a man named Stephan Baston, and he was the man who tortured Aurelie every chance he got, while acting like a true gentleman around everyone else. She knew it was no use telling anyone. They'd all tell her what a gentleman he was, how she was so incredibly lucky to marry him someday. But Aurelie knew what he was truly like. She had seen it, and been scarred by it, both physically and emotionally. He was in of the many reasons she decided she couldn't stay in this cage called a house.

Her family, as we have said before, was incredibly shallow. They couldn't care less about whether Aurelie was happy with her husband, as long as he remained rich. Whenever she tried to talk t them about how she didn't love him, and never would. They just want to stay rich, and claimed that she would learn to love him as the years go by. But she does not believe in learning to love someone; she believed that marriage should happen between two people who loved each other very much, and had been put together by fate, by destiny, not by selfish relatives. Many would call her a stupid young girl that had read too many fairy tales for believing this.

Aurelie grabbed a cloth bag, and stuffed in all things she deemed necessary, such as clothes, and money. She left all her elegant gowns and dresses behind, thinking they wouldn't be of much use. She changed into the simplest dress she had, trying to avoid the purple bruises Baston had placed all over her pale, freckled body, and slipped on the most comfortable shoes she had. She grabbed a coat, and making as little noise as possible, walked out of her room.

She walked as quietly as she could through the hallway, praying that for once in her life, she could walk across the wooden floor, down the spiraling stairs, to the oak doors, and run through the gate, without being caught. She did fine, until she got to where the end of the hallway, where she clumsily tripped over her own two feet, plummeting to the floor with a loud THUMP!

Aurelie froze on the floor, like a deer in headlights. She listened for any noise coming from any bedroom, and heard mumbling from one of the bedrooms. The bedroom which she knew to be occupied by Stephan Baston. She quickly got up and raced to the closest hiding place in case he decided to come out. She cringed at the thought of him finding her, and beating her mercilessly. She remained in her hiding spot until the mumbling eventually subsided, and was replaced by snores. Aurelie held out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She picked herself up, and continued down the stairs, and walked down the long hallway, to the door. She stole one last gaze at the paintings, the touch-me-not furniture, and the massive chandelier. With a heavy and tired sigh, she grabbed the door knob, and opened the door to reveal the dark night. She silently walked through the doors, and escaped from the confine she had once called "home".

Her lungs burned. Her feet hurt. She kept running. And she ran, and ran, and ran. She kept on running until her lungs felt like they were on fire, until her body couldn't take it anymore. Panting, she looked around, trying to find a safe place. Well, as safe as it could get for a young girl in the streets. Looking around, realizing how unsafe it was for her out here, it struck her that she did not know how long she'd have to live like this. She knew that there was not a single member of her family willing to hide her, and the only friends she had ever had had not been able to speak with her for a very, very long time, and she didn't even know if they were still alive. No one would take her in, and she had been warned many times about the dangers of staying at an inn. She sighed wearily, and continued wandering about, looking for a place to stay the night._ This wasn't very well thought-out, now was it? I didn't even think of where I could stay. Of course Aurelie, just grab some clothes, run away, with absolutely no plan at all! I could at least have tried to find Richard, perhaps he is still living in these parts, and would be willing to take me in. We were best friends, were we not? Mon Dieu! What do I do now? No food, no water, no shelter, no warmth, and with winter coming along so soon! I haven't got much time! I need to find a job. A good job._

Aurelie found a secluded bench, and decided to spend the night there. She laid down, and started planning the next day._ I needn't worry about Maman and Papa looking for m_e, she thought. _They'll rejoice at the sight of my empty bed. No more disgraceful Aurelie. No more trying to teach me how to be a proper lady. They'll only have Celeste, the beautiful, well-mannered, empty-headed , stupid daughter._

The two sisters hadn't always hated each other. They were once inseparable. But things changed. Their mother, Madame Laroux eventually began teaching the girls the manners expected from a young lady, and had very high expectations, which Aurelie did not live up to. Madame Laroux began comparing her two daughters, and kept asking Aurelie why she had to be the way she was, why she preferred running around and laughing to being quiet.

Celeste meant "heavenly, divine", and had been given that name in the hopes that she would be so. And she certainly did turn out heavenly. She had the perfect manners, beautiful, soft hair, and minimal flwas on her skin. Every man that saw her wanted her as his mistress. Aurelie meant "golden", and she had been given that name in the hopes that she would be a golden child, the perfect daughter. But she was not her family's idea of a perfect child. While she was polite, she liked to speak her mind rather than keep it to herself, and she would rather play in the garden or in the streets than have a tea party. The only thing that Madame Laroux thought was wonderful about Aurelie were her eyes. They seemed to change color. They were a bluish-greenish color, but had a combination of blue, green, and gold near her irises*. They were beautiful, and mesmerizing.

But Madame Laroux favored Celeste and always asked Aurelie why she couldn't be as lady-like, why she had to be so clumsy and unattractive in comparison to her sister. Why she always wanted to run around and make a mess instead of staying still and not doing anything. Why she had unrealistic dreams of true love. She made Celeste believe that she was better than Aurelie in every way, which made Celeste treat her sister like she was worth nothing, and made Aurelie believe that she was worth nothing.

_Where shall I go? I can't sat here forever._ Aurelie shifted, and winced at the pain from the various cuts and bruises. _Well, on the bright side, I won't be seeing Baston again anytime soon. Unless he tries to find me._ Aurelie started to worry, but she decided that it was unlikely he'd want a girl living on the streets. She yawned,and decided to go find a job tomorrow. _It can't be that hard, right?_ She had no idea how wrong she was.

However, that night, when she fell asleep, her mind was filled with happy thoughts and memories. That night, she did not get any flashbacks of Baston abusing her, and instead, dreamed of a bright and happy future, or remembered happy childhood memories. The most prominent memory had been the memory of her meeting her best friend, Richard, for the first time. Many years had gone by since they met, but Aurelie remembered it with such clarity, as if it had just happened the day before.  
And with that memory, Aurelie slept, with no plans, and no idea as to what was going to happen soon.

* - A lot like Benedict Cumberbatch's eyes.


	2. Chapter I Part II - Aurelie's Dream

*1813 - Paris, France*

"Aurelie Alexandrie, keep up!" Nine-year-old Aurelie was shopping with her mother and her sister in the city. It was especially crowded today, and Aurelie struggled to keep up. She picked up her skirts, and ran through the crowd.  
Aurelie enjoyed going for walks, even if she had to endure her mother's yells to walk faster. There were so many different smells, sounds, and sights. It was much more fun than being in her house, sitting down on that ornate blue couch that her family insisted on keeping because it apparently made the house look nice, and making sure she didn't trip over her own two feet and break something. She loved looking at the shops, looking at what was inside, taking a deep breath as they passed by the bakery, with the warm smell of freshly-baked bread, cookies, pastries, and an assortment of other things. She loved to stop by the bookstore, and look at the books, geting stories about far-off lands, of fairy tales, of happily ever afters. Her mouth watered at the thought of the bakery, and her heart thumped with excitement at the thought of the bookstore "I'm coming Maman! Wait for me!"

She ran as quick as her legs allowed her to, hoping her mother was in a good enough mood to stop at both the bookstore and the bakery. But just as she was about to reach her mother, a group of hurried strangers walked between them, not caring that there was a little girl who had no idea how to get home if she got lost. She tried to walk through the crowd, but she couldn't get through. When they finally passed, Aurelie's mom was gone. She had not noticed that the youngest twin was lost. Yes, Aurelie and Celeste were twins (fraternal, obviously), but the details are for another day.

Aurelie grew frantic. She ran, hoping they'd be around the corner, but she had no such luck. "No!" she cried. What was she to do now? With the pace her mother was going at, Aurelie would never be able to catch up, Aurelie had no idea how to get home, and she had no idea as to what shop her mother would be in. _Oh, Dieu, I'll have to sleep in the streets! I'll have to be a beggar, and I won't have food, and I'll depend on the pity of people, and I won't even have a bed to sleep in, and I'll probably die of the cold, or of illness, and I'll never make it home, ever! _Tears started welling up in her eyes, and she sat down on the floor, not caring that her beautiful green dress was going to get dirty with all the dirt on the floor. And she sobbed into her hands, distressed at the idea of life as a beggar, and resentful and that crowd for leaving her in this situation. She kept sobbing, until she felt someone crouch in front of her. She looked up, hoping to see someone who'd help her, but was disappointed to see a peasant boy, with brown hair that was just as curly and crazy as her own, olive skin, a tall lanky body, and a very curious, worried look on his face. His eyes were a chocolate brown, his eyebrows furrowed, and his nose was crooked, as if it had been broken, and hadn't quite healed the way it ought to. He looked around her age. Her heart dropped, again, and she put her face in her hands, all hope lost.

"Hey...what's wrong?" the boy asked. Aurelie looked at him with a confused look upon her face. "Why would you care? You're just a stupid, dirty peasant boy. Maman says you lot are dumb, and I have to stay away from you." The boy looked like he was used to this, like this was something that happened often, and he sighed. Aurelie felt bad, but her mother had told her to stay away. And she wasn't going to defy her orders. Not again. "I can help ya," he said. Aurelie glared at him. "No you can't. You're a liar. You're just a stupid boy, you don't know anything, and you should just leave me alone!"

He put his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Well," he stood and shrugged. " I guess you're right. I don't know anything. I just happen to know this city like the back of my hand, an' I know every street, which paths lead to dead ends, which paths lead to which shops, an' I know how to get pretty much anywhere." This caught Aurelie's attention. _He could help me get back home._ "But like ya said, I'm just a stupid boy, and are so, so much _smarter_ and _wiser_ than me! Ya could_ easily _lead yourself back home! Well, then, goodbye, can't really say it was a pleasure meetin' ya."

He turned, and went off to walk towards the crowd. Aurelie knew she her mother would be furious if she was there, but this boy was her only chance. "Wait!" she shouted.

She was shocked at her volume, but at least it got the boy to turn around. Once she was able to see his face, she saw the biggest smirk ever, right on his face. He walked back to her little corner, and said, "Ah! See? Ya do need good ole me! Now, not in a creepy way, mademoiselle, but where do ya live?" Aurelie told him the street on which she lived, and he grinned. "Of course. The rich neighborhood. I oughta have guessed." Aurelie was relieved. She wouldn't have to spend her life in the slums. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! My name's Aurelie. Aurelie Alexandrie Lar-"

"Hey, hey! First name's enough. Honestly, you girls talk more than you need to." He held out his hand. "That's a nice name. I'm Richard. Now, if you want to get home soon, I suggest we stop talking, and start walking right now."

The no-talking rule was soon broken by Richard, who couldn't contain his wonder for Aurelie's red hair. He kept complimenting her on it, saying that he thought it was amazing, and how no one in his family had red hair. He even began calling her "Rouge," which means red in French, in honor of her hair.

"But really! It's amazing!" Richard exclaimed. Aurelie giggled. It was the first time anyone had said anything positive about her hair, and she couldn't help but blush, and it was very obvious due to her pale complexion. Richard noticed, and immediately started teasing her. This only caused her to turn redder, and it if weren't for a clock's chime, her face would probably have turned redder than her hair.

Richard stopped his teasing, and counted the chimes. His eyes grew wide when he finished. He looked at her, looking terrified. "Aurelie, how well can you remember and follow directions to your house?" She thought back to all the times someone had tried to make her remember directions, but it always took her a while. "Well," she said, looking sheepishly at the ground. "It usually takes me a while to remember them. Why? Do you need to go somewhere?"

Richard frowned. "Yeah. It's just... well my mom's kinda strict with being on time, and I have to get home to eat soon. And I don't think I'll have enough time if I lead you home." Aurelie pursed her lips, thinking. She knew it was no use having him tell her how to get there and trying to memorize the way. She was getting desperate, when suddenly, an idea struck her. "Maybe we could go to your house together," she blurted out. Richard's eyes bugged out. And with good reason, too. It wasn't everyday that a bourgeoisie agreed to go to a peasant's house. "Yeah! I don't think my mom would mind. And then I'll lead ya home!" Aurelie nodded, excited to see what it would be like. He grabbed her hand, and he lead her to where he lived.

*A few hours later*

"And that is the story of how I broke my nose the first time, and why my nose will never be the same again." They laughed together. As planned, they headed over to Bahorel's house and ate over there. His family was lovely. His mother and father were very nice. His sisters, Dominique and Victoire were really nice, too, and wouldn't stop asking her questions about her lifestyle. Aurelie answered the questions to the best of her ability, considering there was still a lot for her to learn. The food was amazing, and to be honest, Aurelie felt more comfortable there than in her own house.

Not like they planned, Aurelie and Richard had stayed at his house for a while. They were lying on the grass, finding shapes in the clouds, and talking as if they had know each other forever. Before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and Aurelie had to go back home. They walked back to her house in low-spirits, knowing it wasn't likely for them to see each other frequently.

When they arrived near the homes of the wealthy, Richard abruptly stopped walking. Aurelie looked back at him, wondering why he had stopped. He sighed and explained that he couldn't go in that area with her; it was too suspicious, and she'd probably get in trouble. With tears in her eyes, she went up to hug him. "You know," she whispered in his ear. "You're the best friend I've ever had. I won't forget you. I'll miss you." Richard put his arms around her, and whispered back, "I'll miss ya, too, Rouge." He pulled back, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Ya know, I'm gonna tell you somethin' not a lot of people know, okay?" Aurelie nodded, eager to know. "Okay, come closer." She put her ear to his mouth, and he whispered, "I trust you a lot, okay, so I'm going to tell you... _my full name." _She rolled her eyes at his dramatics, but listened anyways. "My name is Richard Eugene Bahorel. There, now you know, and you can't tell anyone, got it?" Aurelie nodded, and he hugged her for what they thought may be the last time. "Well, bye, Rouge," said while walking away. "Goodbye, Richard," Aurelie said, and turned around ready to face her mother's inquiries about where she was.

They would never have guessed how many times they'd meet again in the future.

Thank you for reading! This chapter kind of sucked, so I'll try to edit it ASAP. This is my first fanfic, so please bear with me. Any feedback or critisism would be greatly appreciated. I'll try to finish and publish the next chapter by Sunday.


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